The Pocketwatch of Skaro
by TheTimeladyRomana
Summary: The first story of the Persephone's Pages series. Featuring the 4th Doctor, K9, and his new companion Persephone. This is first published story but there will definitely be more. I hope you enjoy! Also, feel free to leave reviews! Also leave ideas for other stories if you'd like.


Romana {Colleen} Jensen

10 May 2014

*In the viewpoint of the fourth doctor, Tom Baker

**The Pocketwatch of Skaro **

"K9, what would happen if we connected the dimensional stabilizer to the Randomizer? Would it increase the efficiency of the materialization circuit?" "Negative, Master. Connecting the dimensional stabilizer to the randomizer would decrease the efficiency and blow a hole in the fabric of the universe." K9 retorted. "Well, we don't want that now do we?" _Knock Knock. _"Well, who could that be?" said the Doctor as he looks up from the task at hand. He crosses to the door and opens in. _Whizzzzz _A small floating black box zooms past the Doctor and begins to hover above the centre console. "I've got mail, K9!" The Doctor moves to the box and snatches it out of the air. The box opens and a small ornate pocket watch falls out and clatters to the floor. The Doctor picks it up and flips it over. He looks it over with great interest. On one side, written in neat Gallifreyan it reads "Lady President of the High Council of Timelords." On the other side; towards the top of the watch is a small logo, a circle with an hourglass shape, The Seal of the High Council. The Doctor gasps and drops the watch. K9 adds "Master, It is not advised to drop the watch." "I know K9! It's just that this is the pocket watch of the leader of Gallifrey!" "Affirmative, Master" "Why was it sent here?" "Master." "Not now K9." "Master, the current leader of Gallifrey is of the male gender." "Wait!" shouted the Doctor smacking his hand against his forehead. "Didn't the last President disappear?" "Affirmative." "And wasn't she a she?" "Affirmative." "Hold on, there's a message, "Skaro, help." "K9, do you think this could be from her?" "The probability is unlikely but still a possible option. "Well then K9, to Skaro!" The Doctor's voice begins to fade and the noises of the TARDIS replace it. The TARDIS materializes by a river, the sky is red and dust clouds blow past. "K9, come on. We have a president to save." "Affirmative." The Doctor steps out of the TARDIS and the edge of his scarf drops into a puddle near the river. It sizzles and burns off. "Not my scarf!" The Doctor exclaims. "K9, what is this?" The Doctor said as he leans down and reaches out a finger. "Master that is not advised." K9 quickly replies. K9 wheels up to the puddle and reaches his nose prod out. "Master, I have identified the liquid as sulphuric acid." "Of course! We must be near Kaalann, the capital! K9, can you do a search for timelords on the vicinity?" "Affirmative, Master." 'Well then do it!" "Affirmative, Master. Searching." K9 speaks as his ears begin to rotate and he begins to move toward the towering buildings of the capital of Skaro. As they enter the city, one building stands taller than all the rest and seems to loom over the rest of the city. "The Supreme Council Chamber." The Doctor states with awe. "Master, the nearest timelord in the vicinity is located inside the Supreme Council Chamber." K9 proudly states. "Good, I've always wanted to visit it." The Doctor retorts with sarcasm. They walk up to the front door of the Chambers but as they go to open the door, a Dalek comes bursting out instead. The Doctor and K9 quickly move to either side of the door and sneak in behind them. The lobby of the Chamber is large and open with a large atrium in the centre and off to the left are 2 large ornate doors each with a plaque to the side written in Dalek. "Master." K9 says loudly "Shh K9!" The Doctor replies quickly. "Affirmative, Master. Master, the signal is coming from the 4th floor." "Well, I hope there's a lift." The Doctor and K9 begin searching the main floor for a lift, unfortunately they don't find one. "Apparently daleks don't need lifts." "Master, Daleks are equipped with levitation circuits." K9 replies knowledgably. Finally the Doctor finds the stairs and begins the climb. Realizing that he forgot something he turns back around and finds K9 at the bottom of the stairs looking up at him with as much sadness as a robotic dog can have. "K9, you've put on a few pounds." The Doctor complains while carrying K9 up the stairs. "Master, that is illogical. I am incapable of gaining weight. The more reasonable answer is that you have no muscle—""All right K9, that's enough! I take it back. Geesh, I've never known a robotic dog with so much attitude!" "Master, you have not known another robotic-" "K9! Shh! We're at the 4th floor." The Doctor states quietly as he puts K9 down. "Master, the signal is coming from the room at the end of the hall." "Then let's go!" K9 and the Doctor silently begin moving down the long hallway. Through the last door of the hallway we hear screams of pain and electricity buzzing. The door is made of high quality metal is locked tightly. "K9, can you pick this lock?" "Affirmative." K9 moves towards the door and carefully reaches his nose out and quietly picks the lock. The door creaks and opens. The Doctor and K9 peer through the small gap and see large towers of technology and a metal table. On the metal table is a young girl, she appears to be around 26 years old and has dozens of scars covering her face and skin. She is strapped down to a table and 5 daleks surround her. The most decorative and most important looking Dalek speaks to her "Who has the Great Key?! Tell me or be exterminated!" The girl replies sharply "You wouldn't dare! I'm too valuable to you!" The head Dalek does not respond. He instead moves to one of the technological devices, changes a knob, and then turns it on. The girl screams and writhes in pain. K9 begins to move, but the Doctor stops him. "K9, you can't defeat 5 daleks! It would be suicide!" The Doctor, with great sorrow, retreats from the door and moves away. "K9, there's nothing I can do. I can't destroy a whole race of daleks!" From behind the door we hear the words "No more, please! No more!" "Then tell me where the Great Key is?!" "I don't know!" It goes silent for a moment. The screaming stops and a soft sob begins "Where is he? Where's the Doctor? He's my last hope." The Doctor looks up at these last words and forms an expression of fire and of courage. He enters one of the other rooms along the hallway and locks the door. He begins pacing in the room muttering to himself. "K9, where is a dalek's great weakness?" With a new sense of purpose he begins to devise a plan. An hour later, the Doctor perks up and runs out of the door. K9 follows out behind him. The Doctor marches up to the metal door and bursts through it. K9 calls after him "Master! That is not advised! Master!" But the Doctor in his usual thick self, ignores him. He bounds into the room to find 5 daleks that all turn to face him. Simultaneously, they all shout "EXTERMINATE!" The Doctor calmly winds his way through the Daleks as they watch him. Then abruptly he pulls his scarf and all the daleks are pulled together with their firearms facing inward and the scarf coiling its way through the daleks. He takes his scarf and ties the ends together. Then he moves to the table where the young girl is strapped. She has fallen unconscious by this time and has new scars on her arms and legs. The Doctor carefully undoes the straps and he picks the girl up gingerly and walks back to the room down the hall. He sets the girl down. "K9, watch her. And when she wakes up, take care of her." "Affirmative, Master" K9 moves to a position closer to the girl. "K9, I'm going to look around." The Doctor leaves. The Doctor returns to the atrium and manoeuvres to the large doors and listens in. Back in the 4th floor room, the girl begins to stir. "Mistress, are you alright?" The girl perks up at the words and jerks back, frightened. "Mistress, there is no need to be frightened." "Stop calling me Mistress." "Affirmative." K9 moves slowly towards the girl and reaches his nose out and inspects the girl's injuries. "Madam, your injuries appear non-life threatening. Madam, if you do not wish me to call you Mistress or Madam, what shall I call you?" "Persephone, my name is Persephone." "Affirmative…Persephone." K9 is apprehensive at this last word as if it goes against his nature. Down 4 floors the Doctor is causing some mischief. As the Doctor is walking around the atrium he turns a corner too sharply and trips. He tumbles and rolls into the large doors. They rattle and the daleks inside go quiet. Realizing he's caught their attention, he leaps up and sprints away. The Daleks chase after him. He rushes to the stairwell and dashes up it. Close behind they reach the stairs. A moment later a peculiar buzzing begins to hum and the base of the daleks begin to glow. They begin to rise up and follow the Doctor up the stairs. Back with K9, Persephone starts to shift around and tries to stand up. She collapses in pain. K9 goes over to her and provides her with something to lean on. All of a sudden 4 daleks burst through the door and immediately move to them. "COOPERATE OR BE EXTERMINATED!" Persephone struggles to get herself standing up and falls and grabs K9 to lean on. The Daleks surround her. She's trapped. The Daleks begin moving and move into the hallway and down the stairs with her. Back with the Doctor, he is still running up the stairs with the daleks floating up behind him. He turns a corner and there on the stairs are the other daleks with Persephone and K9. She is holding K9 and she carefully puts him down before stumbling a little bit. It goes silent for a moment but it does not last. Once again the daleks begin moving up. But they past the fourth floor and the Doctor and Persephone are getting nervous. A few minutes later, they run out of stairs to climb. The daleks "escort" them through doors identical to the ones many floors down. This level of the building is much cleaner and sort of showy. The walls have bubbles similar to the daleks body and paintings of now destroyed worlds line the row. At the end of the corridor, two tall, large doors appear. The 8 daleks push through the doors. At first glance the room looks like a big office. In the back of the oddly spherical room is a large round window. In front of the window, a bulky desk stands. Suddenly, a door bursts open and a different Dalek appears. This one is a different colour and much more decorative. It spots the other daleks and the two timelords. "WHY WAS I NOT TOLD THAT THE PRISONER HAD ESCAPED?!" The new Dalek screamed. "SUPREME DALEK, WE HAD THE SITUATION UNDER CONTROL." One of the other daleks replies. Persephone curiously looks up at this name as if she's heard it before. The Doctor notices this and asks "Do you know anything about the Supreme Dalek?" "I've only heard the name but the other daleks speak of him as if he's some sort of god." A sudden noise makes the Doctor and Persephone look up. The dalek's armour begins to open. "That's because he is." The Doctor replies shocked. The casing opens. Davros. "You're supposed to be dead." "You are too." "Its been a while since we've met. What are you doing?" "If you think I would tell you? Fool." "Well, I mean it was a reasonable question. I see Skaro has held up…. Moderately." The Doctor replies sarcastically. "Ahh yes, the time you tried to eliminate the daleks at birth still rings clear in my mind." Davros states nostalgically. "Doctor, who is this and why have I heard his name before?" Persephone asks inquisitively. "You probably heard the name Davros because he is the madman who created the daleks." "He created the daleks? He looks like a dried shrimp." The Doctor does not reply but just smiles at her proudly. "Your insults mean nothing to me." Davros fires back. "What do you want with me?" Persephone demands. "You are the key to destroying the timelords. You will tell us all the knowledge that the timelords keep secret" "No! Never! I'll never sell out my own planet and my own people!" "Then I guess you'll need a little encouragement. Use the device!" One of the daleks moves to the wall, opens a panel and clicks a button. Persephone jerks and yelps in pain. The Dalek reaches for the button again. "Wait! I'm a timelord too! I'm more mature and experienced than she is! I can tell you all the secrets of the timelords!" The Doctor appeals to Davros. "Doctor, no don't! I've lasted 2 years here! I can last another 10 minutes!" The Doctor does not reply to this but just gives Persephone a look of melancholy but with a glint of mischief. "Davros." Addressing him with confidence. "I will tell you the secrets of the timelords in exchange for Persephone's well-being. Do you agree?" "I agree. But first a little welcome ceremony, Dalek Oswin, once more just for old times." The dalek by the panel clicks the button once more but this is Persephone does react but instead winks at the Doctor. The Doctor looks puzzled and a little worried. Persephone reveals secretly, in her hand the Doctor's sonic screwdriver which she had hoisted from the Doctor's many pockets. "Well Davros, let us begin. The galactic coordinates of Gallifrey are 10-0-11-00 by 0-2…The sky trenches that surround the major cities can only be penetrated by very high power energy weapons." "Ask the girl, is this truthful?" Persephone catches a glance from the Doctor. "Ah. Yes. That is 100% correct. Definitely." Suddenly the Doctor stumbles. "Doctor! Are you alright?" "What? Oh. Yes. Hold on a moment." He runs behind the desk and looks out the odd circular window. "Persy, we're the eye of the dalek." "Its Persephone. And what does that mean?" "No kidding, we are in the eyepiece of a giant dalek." She runs over to the Doctor and takes a quick look before looking at the Doctor with wonder. "But, I'm confused. How does this relate to you stumbling?" "Skaro has a high radiation level. I was impacted by the radiation because we are so high up in the atmosphere and the radiation is thicker and more concentrated." "But how come I wasn't affected?" "Maybe because you've been here so long that you've gotten used to it." "I guess, but when I was first came I was extremely ill for 4 weeks." "Doctor, you have not finished your obligations. Seize them." The daleks begin to move towards them. K9 begins to fire. The daleks break down. "Doctor! Run!" Persephone shouts as she and K9 start towards the door. The Doctor runs after them. "Quickly! Increase the internal radiation!" Davros demands. Davros clicks a button on the desk panel. Finally, the Doctor catches up with Persephone and K9. He reaches her on the stairs. "Persephone, Davros has increased the radiation! We must hurry." "I am! Come on! Surely you can run faster than that?" "I can, however the radiation is affecting me." The Doctor retorts. "Oh sure, blame it on the radiation!" Persephone replies sarcastically. Halfway down the stairs, the Doctor stops. He is obviously weak and tired. "Almost there! Come on! We have to keep going." She begs him. "But once we make it out of the building we have to make it to the TARDIS." The Doctor tells her. "Hold on a moment, what model do you have?" "Type 40, why?" "Because, at the academy, one of the required courses is 'Type 40 Time Machines'!" "It is? I didn't have to take that class." "That explains why your flying test scores were so low." "Oh, be quiet." "Doctor, how far is your TARDIS from here?" "2 miles to the east." "Okay, I'll go get your TARDIS and fly it here. You're too weak to come with. I'll leave K9 here for you." "The stairs are too vulnerable, take me to the fourth floor." The Doctor proceeds to attempt to stand up but immediately tumbles to the floor. He gives her the best 'puppy eyes' expression he can muster. Persephone rolls her eyes. She walks to him and reaches down and hoists him up. He reaches his arm around her shoulder and this awkward duo hobble down the stairs. "Master, Master, Master." K9 begs as he figures out he is being left behind. Persephone's voice rings up the stairwell, "Don't worry K9, I'll come get you." K9 wags his tail. Persephone and the Doctor reach the fourth floor a few minutes later. The duo enters the room closer to the stairs and Persephone helps the Doctor to a chair. "I have to go get K9, I'll be right back." "Davros may have alerted the other daleks to the situation. They'll try to find us. You must hurry." "I will. I don't need the Timelord Academy to teach me that one." Persephone sprints away and her footsteps can be heard on the stairs. K9, alerted by the noise, lifts his head up and looks ready to fire. Persephone rounds the last corner and is spotted by K9. K9, abandons his hostile position and wags his tail. The timelady walks up to K9. She bends over and lifts him up. "Mistress." "Oh, I give up. Just call me Mistress." "I am detecting the presence of daleks approaching from both directions. "What?! How long until they get here?" "4 minutes, Mistress." "That's not enough time to get the Doctor out of the building and its not enough time to fly the TARDIS…." She stops talking but very quietly echoing up the corridor comes "EXTERMINATE!" "EXTERMINATE!" "K9, is there a way to get the roof? It's the only way out." "Affirmative, continue up the stairs the door will be above." "Okay then, K9 hold on. We're going to run." "Mistress, I have no arms, that is…." "It was a joke!" She proceeds to run up the stairs." K9 voice shakes as she bounds leaps up the stairs. "Miiiisssttreesssss, ttthhheee dooor iiisss aaapppprrroooaaaccchiiinggg." Persephone looks up. Up on the ceiling there is a hatch. Persephone sets K9 down and tries to open the hatch. Its locked. "Mistress, you are in possession of a sonic device are you not?" "Right K9." She reaches into a pocket and pulls out the Doctor's sonic screwdriver. "I hope he doesn't need this." She holds it up to the hatch and activates it. The hatch opens and swings down. Persephone ducks and is barely missed by it. A ladder unfolds. Persephone picks K9 up, again. She puts him under one arm very carefully and climbs the short ladder slowly. She hoists him up over her head and pushes him up to the roof. She follows behind him and closes the hatch. Persephone looks around. The roof is domed with the eyestalk of the dalek is around 10 feet down. It is clearly visible. The sky is burnt orange and large clouds of dust whip in the wind. "Mistress, the daleks are approaching." Not a second later, the hatch bursts open and going flying over the edge of the roof. Around 15 seconds later, it hits the ground. A familiar buzzing starts and the open hole starts glowing blue. Davros appears in his chair. He pulls out an energy weapon. "So, my little subject is getting a little rebellious. We don't want that." "I am not your 'subject'! I am a timelord! You cannot control me." "Just watch me." Davros' weapon begins to energize. K9 fires at him. It hits just below the rim of Davros' chair. "You think your little robotic dog can beat me? Haha! You are such a fool!" He clicks a button on his chair and a translucent blue shield ripples around him. "The last time I met the Doctor was too close a call. I installed some protective measures." Davros advances toward K9 and Persy. She can feel the roof sloping down. She's running out of room. Down a many floors, the Doctor is recovering some of his strength. _Where's Persy? She should be here by now._ He stands up looking as ready as ever. He exits the room and heads for the stairwell and runs down the stairs. The Doctor dashes out the door and is knocked over by the wind. He jumps up and continues to jog away from Kaalaan. Back with Persy, Davros continues to push her off the roof. "K9, go find the Doctor! Don't try to help me!" "Affirmative, Mistress." He rolls off but is halted by the hatch. Persy slips and falls off the roof. In the TARDIS, the Doctor is having some problems. "Come on, Old girl! I know the radiation levels are really high but the President of Gallifrey is in trouble." He hugs the centre console and attempts to coax it to cooperate. The TARDIS finally begins its dematerialization. "Oh, thank you!" Persephone opens her eyes. _I'm not regenerating…..why am I not regenerating? Did the force of the fall take all of my lives? _She sits up and looks around. Up 10 feet Davros sits. "I'm not done with you!" Davros shouts down but Persephone barely hears it as the wind lashes around. His chair begins to glow again and he is slowly getting closer. Persy stands up. She realizes where she's standing, _the eyepiece._ Davros lands a few feet away. "You'll never beat me, Timelord!" "Just watch me!" Out of the blue, a beep from Davros' chair alerts his attention. A familiar mechanical voice rings out "SUPREME DALEK, THE ENERGY WEAPON IS PREPARED FOR FIRING." "Dalek Oswin, commence firing." The firearm of the giant dalek begins to move up. It points at the sky and fires. Persephone calculates where its headed. Gallifrey. _A flashback suddenly occurs in her mind. When they where inside with Davros, the Doctor gave her a mischievious look. She recalls her Gallifreyan history course at the Academy, the sky trenches cannot be penetrated and high power energy weapons will just ricochet with even more power then orignally. So this was the Doctor plan, destroy the daleks with their own weapon. Clever_. Davros is looking especially pleased with himself. Not for long. "Davros, do you what happens when high energy weapons hit sky trenches? They ricochet back. You've got 10 minutes to get off Skaro or the whole city will be destroyed!" "LIES! When Gallifrey falls we will rule the galaxy! The daleks!" "The most ingenious warrior race in the galaxy destroyed by their own ignorance! What a story!" Persephone fires back. The TARDIS interrupts this spirited conversation. It lands back up on the roof. The Doctor sticks his head out of the door and shouts "Persy! Come on! We've got other appointments." "If you can tell, I'm a little trapped!" "Oh, give me a mo." The TARDIS dematerializes. "Oh, thanks Doctor. Just leave me here." Davros takes full opportunity of this moment. "Haha, the great timelord leaves his little companion behind….." "Oh you just wait. He'll come back." Persephone says. The energy beam is growing larger and larger in the sky. It about to hit Kaalaan. And not a moment later, the TARDIS rematerializes behind her. The Doctor comes out again "Well, come on then!" "Wait Doctor! Where's K9?" "In the TARDIS, Mistress." K9 says as his voice echoes inside. "Let's go then!" She enters the TARDIS. "We better take you back to Gallifrey." The Doctor states. Persephone, with a glint of tom foolery bumps the centre console and the TARDIS tips at an angle and it goes flying through time and space.


End file.
